Compare and contrast different patterns of state-formation in ‘colonial states

The Middle East Today – Suggested Questions for Term-Papers.Choose one of the following questions for your term-paper. You may also formulate your own questions but please clear them with me first.1/ Compare and contrast different patterns of state-formation in ‘colonial states’ and ‘indigenous states’.2/ What is the relationship between Islam and nationalism?3/ Is a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict still viable?4/ Discuss the significance of the veil in Islam. Why has it become so popular?5/ Has the Arab Spring failed?6/ Are Islam and Capitalism compatible?7/ ‘The ‘war on terror’ is a flawed strategy which has fundamentally misrepresented and exacerbated the causes of terrorism’ DiscussBasic Structure Guide for EssaysThe essays should be 2000 words long. The following is a guide on how to structure the paper.Always state the essay title or question clearly.Part One:First paragraph: introduce the subject you are addressing – NOT the general topic – and how you understand it, give an overview of the different aspects that you are going to address (“First, this paper will look at…, second, this paper will highlight the…, third it discusses…, and then finally…”). Structure is crucial, an unstructured essay, regardless of how good your writing may be will simply not get a good grade.Explain in one sentence or two the reasons why you chose those aspects in order to answer the question. At the end of the first paragraph you might want to state your answer to the essay question (After looking at all the different aspects, this paper concludes that…[answer to the essay question] ).The purpose of the first paragraph is:• To help explain how you understand the question or issue (including key terms, varying debates and approaches).• To help the reader understand the structure of your written work and, more importantly, to guide the reader through your argument.• To have a clear grasp of what aspects you are looking at and why.• KEEP TEXT IN THE THIRD PERSON, also keep to the past tense.• Avoid ‘I think’ or ‘I feel’, colloquialisms and spurious abbreviations – ‘etc’, ‘govt.’ or ‘b/t’.• On the first use of all names or abbreviations spell them out in full, regardless of how well-known you assume they are – European Union (EU), John F. Kennedy.• Use 1980s and NOT 1980’s.Part Two:Body of the Text: Discuss the different aspects you selected to address. Separate each aspect by using a new paragraph. Try to keep your paragraphs even and relatively short, avoid paragraphs that take up a whole page. Try to aim for two or three paragraphs per page. At the end of your discussion of each aspect make an explicit link back to the essay question. Make sure you signpost where you are in your argument, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. Do not assume that the reader automatically knows where they are.• Make sure you separate your opinions from those of authors but always try to illustrate the various approaches of a variety of authors to that particular topic.• Make sure you are answering the question through the use of analysis and not just via description. Although description is often necessary and useful, only analytical approaches will gain the highest grades.• Use an academic style of citation and stick to it. For history/sociology courses this is Chicago-style footnotes – and make sure you use it consistently and properly. Saying, “I didn’t know what it was”, is no excuse.• All quotations MUST be referenced and put in “” marks. Longer quotations of over 4 lines should be indented without quotation marks.• Highlight book titles by underlining or putting them in italics.• Keep your writing clear and simple at all times.• Guide the reader through your text; let them know where you are going and where they are in your argument. You are NOT writing a murder mystery story, no one’s going to turn pages to find out what happens.Part Three:Last Paragraph: Weigh up the results of each paragraph or aspect at the end of your essay; here you should make YOUR answer to the question crystal clear. The conclusion should include:• A summary of all the issues and aspects covered in the main text.• Never introduce any new material.• An explanation of YOUR answer to the question – NOT the topic – this has to coincide with the preliminary answer given in the introduction.• Make sure you have produced a rounded well argued piece that covers a variety of angles and contains analytical arguments of the matter in hand.• It’s structure and analysis, not description, that will get you the grade you want.Always include a complete bibliography!